My Beloved Squid
by Kefka is in my Harem
Summary: Cid Highwind tries to once again achieve his dream of space flight but is thwarted when everything goes oh so wrong, but ends up oh so right.
1. Pointy Headed Bastard

**Authors Notes: - **Yeah, yeah, not much happens in this chapter but its setting things up. It took me a while to write because I had to keep looking things up. It's been so long since I've played the game so I was slightly fuzzy on details. Anyway, I guarantee this will be a very original fan fic :)

**My Beloved Squid**

"Fuck!" Cid yelled pushing himself out from under the plane. He jumped to his feet and kicked it as hard as he could. The side of it dented slightly and he growled in pain. He turned and hobbled into the house, trying not to act like he actually hurt his foot, even though it throbbed painfully.

"Shera! Shera!" He bellowed, his voice carrying easily through the small house. "Get over here!"

She walked out of the kitchen and gave him a curious look. "What is it Captain?"

"Get me some bloody tea." He ordered, flopping down at the table.

"The repairs not going well?" Shera asked as she ducked back into the kitchen to retrieve the tea.

"No shit." Cid snapped, looking down at his foot. "Stupid plane." He mumbled.

"I'm sure you'll have her flying soon." Shera said walking out of the kitchen. She placed the pot of tea on the table and poured him a cup.

"I'm this close to giving up." He said holding his thumb and forefinger an inch apart with one hand while he picked up the cup with the other. "The blasted thing is full of rust, barnacles and a few bullets."

"You shouldn't get too caught up with the Bronco today, remember that Cloud was coming to visit." She reminded him as she disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Fuck!" He pounded the table with his first. "I forgot!"

"I'm sure you have time to get ready." Shera said casually, ignoring his temper tantrum like she always did.

"Get ready?" Cid snorted. "That's not what I'm worried about."

She peered out of the kitchen and looked at him oddly. "Then what is it?"

"The pointy headed bastard wants me to fix of the Airship and I don't have all the parts ready." He got back to his feet and limped outside. "Work, work, work, that's all I fucking do any more."

Cid rounded the house and paused beside the remains of his prized airship. It could still fly, barely, and badly needed numerous repairs. The exterior was scorched and dented from it's last flight. He sighed slightly. It had been over a year since the meteor had crash landed and he'd only had time to occasionally work on the Highwind. Now that he was world famous people were coming out of the wood works with things needing to be fixed. He figured the only benefit was that he could use the money to build a new space ship, a better one and truly fulfill his dream. A rumbling growl pulled his attention away from his ship and to the small dirt road leading up to his house.

A plum of dust rose into the sky on the heels of Cloud, atop his favorite toy. Cid rolled his eyes and walked over to greet him. The massive low slung bike rolled to a stop and Cloud stepped off and put down the kick stand.

"Hey." He said to Cid in his normal even tone.

"Hey." Cid replied in a gruffer voice.

"How is the Highwind doing?" Cloud asked as he walked past Cid towards the object in question.

"It isn't easy getting parts for an air ship. They're hardly a dime a dozen, unlike your little bike there." Cid remarked around his cigarette, jerking a thumb towards Cloud's bike.

Cloud glared at him mildly and looked back to the ship. "How much longer will it take?"

"What's the rush? It's not like we're racing to save the world anymore." He snorted, walking over to his side.

"There are things I want to do..." Cloud said softly, keeping his eyes on the once gleaming vessel before them.

"Give it up Cloud, she's dead." Cid snapped, turning away.

"You don't know that." Cloud said with soft conviction, his fists clenching tightly.

"Fucking hell man, I was there! I saw her get run right through the middle! Besides, you got Tifa, why do you need to go running after a dead woman!" He yelled at the former soldier.

"Just finish fixing it alright!" His friend hissed. "I gave you what you wanted now you have to keep up your end of the bargain."

Cid threw aside his cigarette and gave Cloud a look of death. "Don't order me around boy, I had enough of that from Shinra. I'll finish fixin' her when I'm good and ready. I do have a dozen other projects lined up ya'know!"

"Then hire an assistant." Cloud suggested walking towards the house.

"I would but they'd probably be just as useless as Shera!"

Cloud ignored him and walked inside. Shera greeted him with a smile and a nod. He silently returned it and took a seat at the table. She put the finishing touched on lunch and sat the stew on the table before Cloud.

"I made this especially for you, I know how much you like corn chowder." Shera remarked as she went back into the kitchen.

"I don't know how you put up with that man." Cloud said as he dipped his spoon into the thick chowder and stirred it slightly.

"It's a learned talent." She chuckled, coming back out with a new pot of tea.

"One I don't think I have the patients to learn." He mumbled, taking a bite.

"He's all spit and fire but deep down he's a nice man." Shera smiled wistfully and sat down, watching Cloud eat.

"Maybe I should send Vincent over, he's been at a loss for what to do." Cloud suggested in between bites.

"Did they even get along?"

He shrugged a little. "I think I saw them speak to each other twice. Neither one yelled so that could be taken as a good sign."

"The company could be nice. He has been more irritable lately, I think it's because of his personal project keeps being put on the back burner." Shera sighed and poured herself a cup of tea and refilled Cloud's.

"He still plans on going into space?" Cloud asked in disbelief.

The kitchen door snapped shut and Cid glared at Cloud. "What's that sayin', pot callin' the kettle black?"

Cloud didn't look up from his soup and kept eating. Cid sat down on the other end of the table and kept eyeing him with a scowl. "You think I'm fucking nuts for wantin' to go into space, and I think you're fucking nuts for huntin' after a dead girl. So we're even."

Shera got up and made Cid a bowl of chowder. She sat the dish down in front of him and poured him tea. Then she silently returned to her seat and watched the two of them.

"I hate corn chowder." Cid barked, but dug into his meal with no less gusto than he ever ate with.

"I made if for Cloud." Shera explained gently.

"I still fuckin' hate it." He grumbled.

"How is your 'project' coming along?" Cloud suddenly asked, finishing off his lunch. Shera took the bowl and went back into the kitchen.

"I finally figured out how to power the bastard and got it running... I just need to finish the body." Cid mumbled and pushed his plate away.

Shera reappeared and place a new bowl of Chowder down for Cloud and retrieved Cid's plate, first she gave them both refills on their tea. Then she left again, and stayed out of the room to give them their privacy.

"I never figured you'd succeed." Cloud remarked.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Cid replied angrily.

"Mako energy is one thing, but using materia as a power sours is another." He said with a slight shrug.

"I know more than you think." Cid said standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me I've got real work to do."

Cloud watched him leave and noticed the limp. He raised an eyebrow but Cid steadfastly ignored him. Shrugging he finished off his second bowl and got up as well. Shera stepped back into the room and gave him a curious look.

"Thanks for the lunch, but I should go before he gets really upset." Cloud smiled weakly and nodded to her.

"It was nice to see you again Cloud, say hi to Tifa for me." She waved a little as he left.

"I will." He said waving over his shoulder.

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	2. Gerda What?

**Authors Notes: -** A reviewer commented that Cid was being too mean to Cloud. Well he had a reason. It's addressed in this chapter. I wasn't trying to make him a complete ass but if you remember the game he was just down right cruel to Shera. Poor Shera. Anyway, stuff.

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The bronco's engine sputtered and made a horrible racket, after a few moments of gasping and clinging to life it finally clunked loudly once and died. Cid stared at the control panel blankly for a second then yelled wordlessly at it in frustration. He climbed out of the cockpit and dropped to the ground cussing.

"That's it! I'll just build a fucking plane!" Cid spun around and pointed an accusatory finger at the plane. "I'm not wasting any more time on you!"

Shera looked up from the garden and pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face with the back of her hand. She watched him stomp his way inside and rolled her eyes. He was getting worse.

Cid stepped into his living room, which was part of the dining room and headed strait towards the liquor cabinet. When he arrived he found a secure looking lock had been attached to the doors. He glared at it severely and snatched his spear off the wall. With one quick blow he broke open the cabinet and claimed his favorite bottle of whiskey. Smiling he sat down at the table and took a quick pull from the bottle. It burned all the way down but he liked it that way.

After his first drink he relaxed slightly and just held onto it as he stared at the wall. Pictures of him posing in front of various vehicles and projects he worked on adorned it. He turned his face away and pulled off his goggles. His pack of cigarettes was almost empty and the band was in need of replacement. He stared at the goggles sadly for a moment then discarded them on the table. It slid partway across the table and came to a limp stop on its side.

Shera walked in and sat down beside him. She removed her dirt cakes gloves and sat them in the basket she was carrying. Inside it was potatoes, carrots and a few mushrooms. She leaned against the table and folded her hands in front of her.

"You were pretty rough with Cloud the other day." She said conversationally.

"I wasn't rough enough." Cid snapped weakly, not putting his usual amount of effort into it.

"He's your friend, why are you so cruel to him?"

"Because he's a moron." He sat up and took a small sip of the whiskey. "He's got Tifa waiting dutifully by his side but he's still running after Aeris, even though she's been dead for over a year."

"So that's why." She smiled slightly.

"What's that smile for?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"It's just nice to occasionally see some real emotion from you." Shera shrugged slightly.

"I have plenty of real God damned emotions!" He hollered defensively.

She ignored his yelling and went on. "I do feel sorry for her. Seems like she'll wait forever for him to come to his senses."

"He's a damned fool." Cid sighed and stood up, corking the whiskey. "Got a pretty woman doting over him and he doesn't even notice her."

Shera watched him put away the liquor sadly. She hadn't even had a suspicion that he was so concerned for his friends. "Hopefully he'll open his eyes."

He nodded and headed back outside. "Might as well work on the rocket."

She picked up her basket of veggies and walked into the kitchen to wash them off. As she scrubbed them in the sink she could watch Cid move about the makeshift launch pad as he built his rocket. She couldn't help but smile a little, but it was a sad smile. Shera whispered softly. "I really hope you achieve your dreams."

Suddenly someone pounded on the door. She jumped slightly and dropped the potato she'd been working on. Laughing nervously at herself she grabbed a kitchen towel and walked to the front door, drying her hands. She opened the door a peered out. The unmistakable red swathed figure of Vincent stared at her.

"Oh, hello Vincent. I didn't expect you so soon." Shera remarked, stepping aside and motioning him in. "Come on in."

He walked in and looked around the house coldly. "Where is Cid?"

"He's out back working on his rocket." She said casually. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

Vincent glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. Without saying anything further he walked through the house and exited through the back. Cid was sitting at a workbench putting together something complicated. Vincent walked up to him and paused.

"Stupid Cloud..." Cid was mumbling to himself. "That hair must grow all the way into his damned skull..."

"I would have to agree." Vincent remarked quietly.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed dropping his project. Cid put a hand over his heart and glared over his shoulder at his friend. "Don't sneak up on me like that you bloody bastard!"

Vincent didn't apologize and stared at him coldly. "Cloud sent me. I assume he mentioned it to you."

"Yeah, he mentioned it but I didn't expect you to come, let alone so quickly." Cid said standing up. "How'd you get here so fast?"

"Gerda." He explained simplistically.

"Gerda? What the fuck is a 'Gerda'?"

Vincent turned slightly and whistled. A loud trilling chirp replied and a large gold chocobo came running around the side of the house. The big bird came to a stop and dipped her head, bumping it against his shoulder.

"This is Gerda." He said patting the bird on the head.

"Cloud actually gave up one of his prized chocobo?" Cid asked in surprise.

"Tifa forced him to giver her to me. He did so by asking me to race her for a while. It was another one of the projects he's been giving me." He shrugged a little and continued scratching the bird behind her crest.

"Projects? What's that about?" Cid walked around the bird looking her over.

"Once again, it is mostly Tifa's idea. She thinks I'm depressed." Vincent clarified in his usual deadpan voice.

"Wonder what gave her that idea..." Cid mumbled, glancing at him briefly.

Vincent ignored the comment and pushed the bird away. "Go."

Gerda chirped and ran off into a near by field. She went about scaring up small flying birds and chasing them around. Cid watched her and shook his head. "Weird bird."

"So... what will I be doing here?" He asked, looking to his friend.

"What can you do?" Cid asked gruffly.

"You are well aware of my skills." Vincent remarked dryly.

Cid sighed heavily. "Great, now I have a student on my hands."

"Blame Tifa."

"Don't worry, I do." Cid motioned for him to follow. "Alright, let's get started. You might as well help me build the rocket, just don't fuck it up."

"Your confidence in my ability is flattering." Vincent sneered slightly and followed him into a barn. "This wasn't here before."

"I had it built so I could house my projects. I wanted a real hanger but that would have cost too much so..." He motioned around. "This will do."

"I would think you would have plenty of funds. Especially after what we did." Vincent kept looking around. Half built, and half torn apart planes and cars littered the floor of the large barn. He was forced to walk carefully to avoid stepping on anything breakable or tripping and breaking his neck.

"I do and I don't. The money goes quickly." Cid shrugged and came to a stop beside a circle of machinery. "I guess you can say I have an expensive hobby."

"On second thought. I'll just have Shera show you what to do." He said walking back out of the bard. "I just hope she doesn't fuck thinks up again."

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	3. Lemonade in the Sun

**Authors Notes: -** Don't worry, in the next chapter the cross over begins. I just didn't want the story to start out in a lame way, so I had to go into character detail. Hope Vin doesn't seem OOC

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"Vincent..." Cid said carefully, watching his red clad friend with a frown.

"Hum?" Vincent replied.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Digging." He paused to give Cid a look that suggested he was blind. "What does it look like?"

"Why are you digging?"

"Shera wants a larger garden." Vincent explained, and went back to steadfastly digging.

Before Cid could press for more information, Gerda, the chocobo ran by chasing a local cat. He raised an eyebrow as the golden bird darted by, then looked back to his friend. "Three months here and you're already her bitch."

"I am not her 'bitch'." Vincent said defensively, still digging.

"Then why the hell are you digging her a new garden?"

"Perhaps because I, unlike you, wish to help others." He gave Cid a dark look and kept working.

"Funny, you never used to be the helpful type. Getting soft I see." Cid smirked and lit a new cigarette, he paused again and watched Gerda run by again, this time the cat was doing the chasing.

"Not getting soft... Just tired." Vincent said in a soft voice.

Cid shook his head and attempted to ignore the antics of the bird. "Tired of what?"

Vincent didn't answer and moved to a different area of the large square he'd been digging for most of the day. Cid sighed, rolled his eyes and went to work on his rocket. A few moments later Shera came out of the house with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. First she went to Vincent and offered him some. He nodded to her in thanks and took the glass. She filled it up and he just as quickly drank it. Laughing she gave him a refill and went off to find Cid. She located him in the barn that served as a hanger. He was going over the rocket inch by inch, looking for any tiny imperfection and if he found one he'd mark with a brightly colored piece of chalk, as well as write down any notes that pertained to the flaw.

"Do you want some lemonade?" She asked after a moment of watching him.

"Huh? Oh, sure." He mumbled, ash falling from the tip of his cigarette.

Shera poured him a glass and held it out. After a moment of staring intently at the hull of his rocket he reached out and took the glass.

"I'm really happy Cloud sent Vincent here, he's been so helpful." She remarked with a soft smile.

"Yeah... to you." Cid countered and took of sip of his drink.

"He has helped you a lot in building the rocket." Shera quickly said in his defense, motioning to the large craft with the pitcher.

Cid didn't reply and used the pretence of drinking lemonade to remain silent. She sighed and poured him another glass when he finished.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour." Shera said with a sigh as she turned and left the barn.

He watched her go and glanced into his cup. A lemon slice floated in the yellow liquid, bobbing slowly amid the ice. He sighed and sat the glass aside. His eyes were quickly drawn back to the rocket. Vincent had done a great deal of work helping construct the exterior as well as the life support system. He was a quick learner and a good student, even if he never quiet acted very eager about it. Most of his stay had been taken up by Shera. The two of them would often work together on random projects around the house. He'd repainted the exterior, rearranged the living room, built a fence around the front yard and even started a greenhouse. Cid shook his head slightly. Once he'd considered Vincent a fearsome warrior, now he more resembled a handyman.

Cid exited the barn and looked over to his friend. Vincent was standing amid a pile of dirt, his red clothes covered in stains. He'd removed his head wrap and the wind was blowing his hair back from his lean face. Cid glanced towards the house and caught Shera staring out the window at him as she cooked. He shook his head in disgust. The thought of the two of them made him sick to his stomach. Vincent wasn't known for having the best taste in women. He walked over and sat his now empty glass on a table near where Vincent was working.

"How much longer are you planning on staying?" Cid asked in his most casual of tones.

"Until the rocket is complete. That is all Cloud asked of me." He replied, setting his glass down as well.

"Well it is almost done." Cid said with a slight shrug.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Vincent asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This isn't your place..." He started to explain.

"So you are." Vincent stepped out of his hole and dropped the shovel as he scooped up his glass.

"No! That's not what I mean." Cid snapped.

Vincent tipped back the glass and allowed some ice to fall into his mouth. He chewed on it and looked at Cid expectantly.

"You can't possibly be happy here playing home maker." Cid shrugged and motioned around. "Hell, you're a fucking fighter not a gardener."

"The world doesn't need people like me anymore Cid." Vincent sighed. "You have a place, but Cloud and I are at odds, but at least he has something to strive for."

"Yeah, Aeris." Cid mumbled watching his friend talk; he'd never considered how Vincent felt about the way the world had turned out. Every since the meteor hit no one seemed to want to fight. Everything had been peaceful.

"I have nothing but memories... and most of them aren't pleasant." Vincent said darkly as he headed towards the house.

Cid watched him go and scratched the back of his head. "Never figured him for the emotional type." He shrugged. "Oh well, learn something new everyday."

He went back into the barn, which now had a good portion of the room missing where the rocket stuck out.

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	4. Blast Off!

**Authors Notes: -** Blah! The NEXT chapter is when stuff picks up. But at least crap happens in this one. :)

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Cid buckled himself in securely and began turning on screens, instruments and various other items around him in the cockpit. After checking to make sure everything worked he turned on the intercom.

"Is everything green Shera?"

One of the screens in front of him flickered and showed the image of Shera. She smiled at the camera and nodded. "Everything is green; I'm exiting the craft now."

"Good..." He paused. "Where's Vincent?"

"He's on the launch pad, waiting for me." She said her voice garbled from the static.

"Then both of you get going so I can take off." He ordered gruffly.

After a moment of silence Vincent's voice cut into the cockpit. "Are you sure you want to do this alone? It is dangerous."

"I'm touched by your concern Vincent." Cid remarked sarcastically. "I'll be fine, I've been ready for this day my whole damned life."

"If something goes wrong-"

"Then something goes wrong and there won't be shit anyone can do about it. So just get the hell of the launch pad and let me accomplish my dream damnit!" Cid countered angrily.

Shera took the comm. back from Vincent. "Be careful Cid, come back to us." She said insistently, her voice amazingly clear for a moment.

"If I can help take on Sephiroth and live, I think I can handle a simple rocket launch." He chuckled. "Besides, I'll only be in orbit for a few hours, then I'll simply reenter the atmosphere and land in the ocean, so make sure you have that damned boat ready for me!"

"Will do captain!" Shera said as she and Vincent rushed off the launch pad.

He quickly did several checks of his instruments and nodded in satisfaction as everything seemed to be working perfectly. The rocket was where it had been built, right in the middle of where the barn used to be. After it's completion he and Vincent had dismantled the barn and built a makeshift launch pad. It wasn't as fancy as the one Shinra built but it would do. Cid hesitated for a moment and made sure his helmet was on properly. He took a deep breath and began the countdown.

"Ten..." He rechecked everything again, still green.

"Nine..." One of the cameras was pointed directly at the pair of small figures standing in the middle of the field just off of the launch pad.

"Eight..." Gerda dashed by the two, Vincent grabbed her reigns and pulled her to a stop, almost falling over. Cid chuckled and kept counting.

"Seven..." He pulled on his seatbelts and was satisfied when they didn't give an inch.

"Six..." The soft rumble of the engines grew louder, almost drowning out his voice.

"Five..." For a second fear tugged on the edge of his mind. Thousands of things could go wrong, he just hoped they waited until he was in space.

"Four..." If he could just reach orbit, he could die a happy man.

"Three..." Shera, he could possibly never see her again. For a moment he almost felt like stopping it all, just to tell her how sorry he was for being such an ass.

"Three..." His voice wavered. Everything was changing, it was really happening, he as going to finally capture his dream.

"Two..." He could feel the dampness of a few stray tears on his cheeks.

"One..." The engines roared even louder and the whole rocket lurched, forcing him back into his seat suddenly.

"ZERO!" He screamed, pulling back on the throttle. The whole ship surged upwards, thundering into the heavens.

The next few moments became a blur. Everything shook and rattled, he felt like an insect clinging to the windshield of a plane in flight. His body was pressed harder and harder into the seat, like a giant hand was trying to crush him. It became harder and harder to breath, he started to become lightheaded and spots appeared before his eyes. Cid gritted his teeth and stubbornly forced himself to stay conscious, he wouldn't miss the next few moments for the world.

All at once everything stopped. The pressure forcing him down suddenly disappeared and he could feel his body lifting up slightly, only to be stopped by the straps holding him in place. He slowly turned his head and looked out the window. Something massive and blue was filling the whole window. It took him a moment to realize it was the planet. Cid watched in awe as he slowly pulled away from it and the planet grew smaller.

"I made it..." He whispered to himself, his voice shockingly loud in the silence.

The only noise around him was the soft creaking and groaning of the ship and the occasional computer related sound. He looked to the screens around him and found them all to be full of static.

"It's so beautiful." Cid looked around him, and saw out of the other window absolute blackness dotted with tiny motes of light.

The ship abruptly heaved and electricity surged across the control panel in front of him. The almost silence was suddenly filled with an explosion.

"Fuck!" He screamed, looking at all of his instruments, trying to figure out what was going wrong.

The electricity dancing around him didn't look right, it was a brilliant green and seemed familiar, and in his panic he didn't place it right away. One by one the green lights went red and alarms blared around him, too many to pinpoint one single problem. Green dots of light rose up from the panel and floated around him. He stared in confusion at the beautiful site they made. Again the ship pitched, throwing him to the side, but he remained in his seat, thanks to the straps.

"The... materia...!" He whispered quickly punching in a command. One of the screens above him flickered to life. The screen showed the grainy images of the engine room. Inside wires connected to massive chunks of materia. Jagged cracks were forming in the colorful stones and green light was seeping out.

"What the fuck went wrong!?" He snarled in frustration. Another explosion rocked the ship and as he watched on of the chunks of materia cracked in half. A second later the screen was filled with brilliant green light, almost blinding him, then went blank. He turned slightly and looked towards the door. Green lighted cracks formed in the door as it bowed inwards. He screamed in fear and rage as his whole world was suddenly filled with nothing but green warmth.

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	5. And Crash Down

**Authors Notes: -** And so begins the crossover!

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The sun was warm and bright, only a few clouds dotted the otherwise perfect blue sky. A gentle breeze full of salt air blew across the harbor and long white sandy beaches. The waves slowly drifted up and down the sands, swaying with the soothing winds. The only sound in the air was the soft sigh of waves and the occasional shrill call of a sea bird. No boats floated in the water and only animals walked the beaches, the area was empty, save one person. He sat on the harbor, holding a fishing rod in one hand. His skin was well tanned; his hair bleached a lighter blond from time in the sun. The young man squinted up his blue eyes and briefly shaded his face from the light as he stared over the sea. After a moment of enjoying the tranquil view he dipped his face back down and watched the water lap around his bare ankles.

Seifer plucked at a few dangling strands that hung off of the ragged edge of his cut off jeans. He'd cut them just below his knees and a few of the strings had gotten wet. With a sigh he reeled in his bait. To his annoyance he found his hook completely empty.

"Stupid fish..." He grumbled to himself.

He sighed in defeat and got to his feet. A sudden strong wind whipped up and he stood up straight, looking around. His eyes were drawn to something moving rapidly across the sky. 

"What the hell...?" Seifer frowned and squinted, covering his eyes to get a better look. After a moment he realized it was some kind of ship, and it was leaving a trail of smoke in its wake. The vessel arched across the heavens and slammed into the ocean. Waves tore up and rushed towards him. He didn't move an inch as the water washed up over the docks but only got his knees wet.

The water slowly calmed and chunks of debris floated to the surface, along with an oil slick that looked like a rainbow lay across the water. Seifer stared at the wreckage with a puzzled frown. He watched and waited, and for the longest time nothing happened. Then all of a sudden something burst to the surface. At first he didn't know what he was looking at then he realized that it was a person in a suit with a large helmet. They struggled for a moment and tore of their helmet. He could faintly make out a flash of blond hair before the person sank back under.

Without a second thought or one more moment of hesitation Seifer dove into the water. He quickly made his way to the wreck and dove down. More pieces of broken ship floated past him as he swam downward. Faintly in the crystalline blue depths he could make out the sinking man. He forced himself to swim faster and quickly caught up to him. Grabbing hold of his wrist he turned upright and struggled to the surface. The man followed limply behind, little more than dead weight. His head popped up above water and he took a quick deep breath and pulled the man's head up as well. He wasn't breathing and his lips wear turning blue.

Seifer turned towards the beach and began swimming for all he was worth. The weight of the man kept trying to pull him back under but he stubbornly forced himself on. Soon enough his feet touched sand, half swimming half walking he pulled he man out of the water. As one they collapsed onto the beach, Seifer gasping for air, the man still unmoving.

He climbed to his knees and looked the man over. The white suit he was wearing was soggy with water. His eyes caught a zipper and he quickly went about unzipping the suit.

"If Squall finds out about this I'll never live it down..." Seifer muttered to himself as he readied himself to breathe for the man.

With a steadying breath he leaned forward, tilted the man's head back and moved in to breathe into his mouth. Without warning a fist caught him in the chin and sent him reeling backwards.

"What the fuck!?" He yelled, sitting back up and glaring at the once unconscious man.

Cid rolled onto his side and puked up a stomach full of salt water and sea weed. After a moment he regained his composure and glared at Seifer.

"What the fuck yourself!" He snapped.

"I thought you were dying." Seifer growled, standing up.

"So you thought you should make kissy-face!?" Cid propped himself up by his elbow and attempted to relearn how to breathe.

"I was going to help you breathe." Seifer retorted, glaring down at him.

"Thanks but no thanks kid." He remarked dryly, struggling out of his space suit and then to his feet.

"Last time I save your life." Seifer said darkly, folding his arms over his chest. He watched the strange man suspiciously.

"Can't believe I failed again..." Cid growled, kicking the waterlogged suit.

"Failed at what?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was trying to get into space... I suppose I succeeded slightly but all I managed to do was reach orbit... nothing else." Cid knelt down and riffled through the suit, after a moment he pulled out a pair of goggles with a soggy pack of cigarettes attached to them.

"Fuck..." He sighed.

"Why the hell would you want to go into space?" Seifer asked after a moment of staring at him like he was crazy.

"Ever hear of goals kids." Cid barked, standing up unsteadily. "Now where the hell am I?"

"Near Balamb." Seifer announced.

"Ba-lamb?" Cid said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Where the hell is that?"

"It's a city near the Balamb Garden... The world famous Balamb Garden."

 Seifer said slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"If its so world famous, how come I've never heard of it." Cid said angrily, not liking Seifer's tone one bit.

Seifer resisted the urge to say several rude things and instead said something very different. "Alright, where are you from?"

"Rocket Town, and I'm terribly sorry but it's not quiet world famous." He sneered in reply.

"Never heard of it..." Seifer was getting confused now.

"Just figures I'd crash land in some Podunk nowhere area." Cid fumed to himself.

"This is hardly a nowhere area. I told you before Balamb Garden is world famous." Seifer interjected brusquely.

Cid started to snap something at him but he suddenly swayed and started to fall. Seifer caught him without even thinking about it and lowered him to the sand.

"Ug... my head, everything suddenly turned upside down." Cid said slowly, touching his forehead.

"You hit pretty hard, you may have a concussion." Seifer said. "I'll take you to town and find you a doctor."

Cid didn't argue with him, he was having a hard enough time keeping conscious. Seifer picked him up and quickly rushed into town.

**_*                      *                      *_**


End file.
